RIVER BASINS AND THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DENGUE IN THE SÃO FRANCISCO HYDROGRAPHIC REGION: A GEOPROCESSING APPROACH

Abstract

Dengue is an arboviral disease of major public health relevance, influenced by environmental, biological, and socio-spatial determinants. This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of probable dengue cases in the São Francisco Hydrographic Region in 2024. This is an ecological, descriptive study employing a quantitative approach and geoprocessing. Epidemiological data were obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System/Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação/Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde – SINAN/DATASUS), while cartographic data were obtained from the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (Agência Nacional de Águas e Saneamento Básico – ANA) (2020) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística – IBGE) (2025). Processing was performed using the open-source software QGIS 3.40, including the harmonization of six- and seven-digit municipal codes and the spatial clipping of the 505 municipalities in the basin. The results showed cases in 498 municipalities, with the highest incidence concentrated in the urban centers of the Upper and Middle São Francisco, such as Montes Claros/MG, Pirapora/MG, Petrolina/PE, and Juazeiro/BA, associated with unplanned urbanization and intermittent water supply. Lower incidences predominated in the Sub-Middle and Lower São Francisco, although household water storage continued to pose a risk. It is concluded that the river basin is a strategic unit for health surveillance and that interdisciplinary integration between Geography and Biology, mediated by geoprocessing, is essential for targeting prevention and control measures.